Paradise Lost

by Kate Moore Composer

Paradise Lost

“Cultural icons are a preferred source of inspiration for the Dutch-Brazilian choreographer Samir Calixto. Previously, he used highlights from the classical music repertoire for his performances; this time, John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost serves as inspiration. This work from 1667 tells of man’s fall from grace and his banishment from paradise. Contrasts and oppositions drive the performance. Light, dark, good, evil, sacred, and godless; these oppositions are set up with an aim to discover parallels and peel off the many layers. Three dancers are driven with a strong physical intensity – a dance style characteristic of Calixto – through these paradoxical forces, until we see humanity as we know it: fragile, complex, and mortal. The western concept of sanctity is reviewed in an attempt to comprehend the ways in which man constantly submits to intangible forces.”

Music by Kate Moore performed by The Amsterdam Cello QuartetNo man’s land